Simplify the following expressions.

(a) 3a  4b  6c
(b) 5  p + 8  2q

##
12ab 2ab
(a) 3a  4b  6c  
6c c

8 4
(b) 5  p  8  2q  5 p   5p 
2q q

Determine whether each of the following pairs of expressions is equal.

(a) 3a2, 3a  2
(b) 2b3, (2b)3

##
(a) 3a 2  3  a  a
3a  2  6  a
∴ 3a2 and 3a × 2 are not equal.

(2b) 3  2b  2b  2b
(b)  2b 2b 2b
 2 2 2bbb
 8b 3
∴ 2b3 and (2b)3 are not equal.

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Express the following algebraic expressions in word phrases.

(a) -4(a + 2b)
C 5
(b)
3

##
(a) Add two times of b to a and then multiply the sum by -4.

(b) Subtract 5 from C and then divide the difference by 3.

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Represent the following word phrases by algebraic expressions.

(a) Subtract k from the product of 2a and b.
(b) Divide 2x by 3y and then add the sum of x and y to the quotient.

1
##
(a) The required expression is 2ab  k .

2x
(b) The required expression is 3 y  ( x  y ) .
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If 50 pieces of sweets are shared among n students, how many pieces of sweets can 4
students get in total?

##
50
Number of sweets that 1 student can get 
n
50
 4
Number of sweets that 4 students can get n
200

n

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In a toy shop, the price of a yoyo is $28 and the price of a toy gun is $q. If Tony buys p
yoyos and 4 toy guns, how much does he need to pay?

##
The cost of p yoyos  $(28  p )
 $28 p
The cost of 4 toy guns  $(q  4)
 $4 q
∴ Tony needs to pay $(28p + 4q).

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3x
By the method of substitution, find the value of the algebraic expression  5 in each
4
of the following cases.
(a) x = 12
(b) x = -16

##
(a) The value of the algebraic expression
3  12
 5
4
95
4

2
(b) The value of the algebraic expression
3  ( 16)
 5
4
 12  5
  17

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Amy has $350. She spends $5r to buy a music CD and $3s to buy a pair of shoes.
(a) Represent the amount of money left by an algebraic expression.
(b) If r = 24 and s = 43, find the amount of money left.

##
(a) The amount of money left  $(350  5r  3s )

(b) When r = 24 and s = 43,

 350  5( 24)  3( 43)
the value of the algebraic expression  350  120  129
 101
∴ The amount of money left is $101.

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The length and the width of a rectangle are p cm and q cm respectively, and its area A
cm2 is given by the formula A = pq. Find the area of the rectangle in each of the following
cases.
(a) p = 6 and q = 4
(b) p = 8.5 and q = 5.2

##
(a) When p = 6 and q = 4,
A  6 4
 24
∴ The area of the rectangle is 24 cm2.

(b) When p = 8.5 and q = 5.2,

A  8.5  5.2
 44.2
∴ The area of the rectangle is 44.2 cm2.

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The score (S) a team obtained in a Mathematics competition is calculated by the formula
S = 200 + 20m – 10n, where m and n represent the numbers of corrected answers and
wrong answers respectively. Find the score a team obtained if m = 8 and n = 7.

3
##
When m = 8 and n = 7,
S  200  20(8)  10(7)
 200  160  70
 290
∴ The score the team obtained is 290.

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Check whether x = 4 is the solution of 5x + 7 = 27.

##
Substitute x = 4 into both sides of the equation.
L.H.S. = 5(4) + 7 = 27
R.H.S. = 27
∵ L.H.S. = R.H.S.
∴ x = 4 is the solution of the equation.

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By guessing and checking, find the solution of 2x – 5 = 1.

##
Try x = 3.
Substitute x = 3 into both sides of the equation.
L.H.S. = 2(3) – 5 = 1
R.H.S. = 1
∵ L.H.S. = R.H.S.
∴ x = 3 is the solution of the equation.

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When a number is divided by 6, the quotient is 40. Set up an equation to find the number.

##
Let x be the number.
x
 40
6
x  240
∴ The number is 240.
Checking: Substitute x = 240 into both sides of the equation.
240
L.H.S.   40
6

4
 R.H.S. = 40
∵ L.H.S. = R.H.S.
∴ x = 240 is the solution of the equation.

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The figure shows a trapezium of perimeter 24 cm. Set up an equation to find the value of
t.

##
t  5  4  5  24
t  10
Checking: Substitute t = 10 into both sides of the equation.
L.H.S. = 10 + 5 + 4 + 5 = 24
R.H.S. = 24
∵ L.H.S. = R.H.S.
∴ t = 10 is the solution of the equation.

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Find any 4 integral solutions of the following algebraic inequalities.

(a) A > 6
(b) q  –4

##
(a) ∵ Any number which is greater than 6 is a solution of A > 6.
∴ 7, 8, 9, 10 are 4 integral solutions of A > 6. (or any other reasonable
answers)

(b) ∵ Any number which is less than or equal to –4 is a solution of q  –4.

∴ –4, –5, –6, –7 are 4 integral solutions of q  –4. (or any other reasonable
answers)
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The maximum penalty of smoking in a cinema is $5000. If a person smokes in a cinema,

use an algebraic inequality to represent his penalty.

##
Let $x be the penalty.
∴ The required algebraic inequality is x  5000.

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5
Consider the following sequence.
7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, …
(a) Guess the general term of the sequence, and check the result by the method of
substitution.
(b) Find the 20th term of the sequence.
(c) Use the result in (a) to guess the general term of the sequence: 9, 16, 23, 30, 37, 44,
…, and check the result by the method of substitution.

##
(a) Each term in the sequence is a multiple of 7:
7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 7(4), 7(5), 7(6), ...
Therefore, the general term of the sequence is 7n.
Checking: Substitute n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ... into 7n, we have
7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 7(4), 7(5), 7(6), ...
or 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, ... which is given sequence.

(b) Substitute n = 20 into the general term 7n, we have

7(20) = 140
∴ The 20th term of the sequence is 140.

(c) We note that each term in the sequence: 9, 16, 23, 30, 37, 44, … is more than the
corresponding term of the sequence in (a) by 2.
Therefore, the general term of the sequence is 7n + 2.
Checking: Substitute n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ... into 7n + 2, we have
7(1) + 2, 7(2) + 2, 7(3) + 2, 7(4) + 2, 7(5) + 2, 7(6) + 2, ...
or 9, 16, 23, 30, 37, 44, … which is the given sequence.
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The table below shows the relationship between the total cost ($y) of printing a school
magazine and the number of magazines (x) printed.
Number of magazines 300 500 700 900 1100
Total cost ($) 3200 5000 6800 8600 10 400
(a) Write down a function relating x and y.
(b) Hence, find the total cost of printing 850 school magazines.

##
(a) ∵ From the table, we find that y is 500 more than 9 times of x.
∴ y  500  9 x

(b) When x = 850, y  500  9(850)  500  7650  8150

6
 The total cost of printing 850 school magazines is $8150.

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Amy buys 3 apples and 8 oranges. If the prices of each apple and each orange are $4 and
$3 respectively and she pays $t for the fruit, what is the value of t?

##
t  4 3  38
 12  24
 36

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Which of the following expressions are equal?

(a) 2a3, (2a)3, 23a3, 6a3
(b) a4b4, (ab)4, 16ab, (ab)8
##
( 2a ) 3  2a  2a  2 a
 2 a 2 a 2 a
(a)  2 2 2 a a a
 8a 3
23 a 3  2  2  2  a 3
 8a 3
∴ (2a)3 and 23a3 are equal.

( ab) 4  ab  ab  ab  ab
 abababab
 aaaabbbb
(b)
 a 4b 4
( ab) 8  ab  ab  ab  ab  ab  ab  ab  ab
 aaaaaaaabbbbbbbb
 a 8b 8
∴ a4b4 and (ab)4 are equal.

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Jack is x years old. The age of his father is 2 less than 4 times of his age, and the age of
his mother is 6 more than three times of his age.
(a) Express, in the terms of x, the age of
(i) Jack’s father,
(ii) Jack’s mother.
1
(b) If the age of Jack’s sister is 5 more than of his mother’s age, express the age of
3
his sister in terms of x.

7
##
(a) (i)The age of Jack’s father  4  x  2  4x  2

(ii) The age of Jack’s mother  3  x  6  3x  6

1
  (3 x  6)  5
(b) The age of his sister 3
 x25
 x7

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n
Given that S  [ 2a  ( n  1) d ] , find the value of S in each of the following cases.
2
(a) n = 4, a = 5, d = 4
(b) n = 5, a = -3, d = 7

##
4
S  [ 2(5)  (4  1)(4)]
2
(a)  2[10  3( 4)]
 2(10  12)
 2( 22)
 44

5
S  [ 2( 3)  (5  1)(7)]
2
5
 [ 6  4(7)]
2
(b) 5
 ( 6  28)
2
5
 ( 22)
2
 55

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Consider the following sequence.

2, 9, 28, 65, 126 …
(a) Guess the general term of the sequence, and check the result by the method of
substitution.
(b) Find the 10th term and the 14th term of the sequence.
(c) Use the result in (a) to guess the general term of the sequence: 0, 7, 26, 63, 124, …,
and check the result by the method of substitution.

8
##
(a) Each term of the sequence can be expressed as:
1 + 1, 8 + 1, 27 + 1, 64 + 1, 125 + 1, ...
or 13 + 1, 23 + 1, 33 + 1, 43 + 1, 53 + 1, ...
Therefore, the general term of the sequence is n3 + 1.
Checking: Substitute n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ... into n3 + 1, we have
13 + 1, 23 + 1, 33 + 1, 43 + 1, 53 + 1, ...
or 2, 9, 28, 65, 126, … which is the given sequence.

(b) Substitute n = 10 into the general term n3 + 1, we have

103 + 1 = 1000 + 1 = 1001
∴ The 10th term of the sequence is 1001.
Substitute n = 14 into the general term n3 + 1, we have
143 + 1 = 2744 + 1 = 2745
∴ The 14th term of the sequence is 2745.

(c) We note that each term in the sequence: 0, 7, 26, 63, 124, … is less than the
corresponding term of the sequence in (a) by 2.
Therefore, the general term of the sequence is n3 + 1 – 2 = n3 – 1.
Checking: Substitute n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ... into n3 – 1, we have
13 – 1, 23 – 1, 33 – 1, 43 – 1, 53 – 1, ...
or 0, 7, 26, 63, 124, … which is the given sequence.

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Simplify the following expressions.

(a) p3
(b) 3n  2n  4n
(c) 2a + 3a + 4a

##
(a) p 3  3p

3n  2n  4n  3  2  4  n  n  n
(b)
 24n 3

2a  3a  4a  ( a  a )  (a  a  a )  (a  a  a  a )
(c)
 9a